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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To tell them to find their own way to the airport in a foreign country

770 replies

EspressoMonkey · 20/01/2013 09:30

First of all, sorry, long story and first world problem.

DH, DCs and i live abroad for DH's job. We live in a rented house close to DH's work as it is not really easy for foreigners to buy property where he works. I miss England and our lovely home there, so last year DH bought me a Ski Chalet as a birthday present / thank you for leaving your family and job in England to follow me around the world, present. He insisted it was my chalet, i could decorate it how i wanted etc, do what i wanted with it.

The chalet is in a fabulous ski resort and to me it is very much our home. We spend most weekends there, we do not rent it out as a holiday chalet.

Last year MIL asked whether HSIL and her uni flat mates could visit for a weeks snowboarding holiday. I was reluctant to agree. DH's does not really know his HSis and when she has visited us in other homes she has been very messy (straightens hair over sink leaving behind lots of hair etc etc) and she never helps out at all. Reluctantly i agreed, MIL insisted her friends were nice and they would help out and babysit DCs in exchange for free board.

HSIL and her friends booked plane tickets which meant they landed late at night with no way of getting to the chalet so DH drove a 6 hour round trip to collect them from the airport.

They have been here all week and as i guessed, have been hard work. They have done nothing to help out around the house, not bothered to help with dinner or clean away afterwards, not helped with DCs or bothed to even buy me a bunch if flowers or some chocs to say thank you for having them. We all eat together but they talk amongst themselves and make little conversation.

On Wednesday DH was called back to work with a crisis, leaving DCs, myself and HSIL and her friends. Since then they have been worse, going out at night and getting drunk and returning at 2/3am and waking DCs and i with their noise. Last night things worsened. DCs and i were woken at 3am, i could hear male voices and smelt cigarette smoke. Our house is strictly non smoking, especially as we have a baby. I went into the lounge and interrupted the party. I asked the young men to stop smoking in my home and to please leave as i didn't know who they were. The young men were local lads and were very apologetic for smoking and waking us and explained they didn't know it was a private home. As they left one of HSIL's friends, under her breath, called me a snotty cow. I turned around and politely challeneged her on her comment. She repeated it and called me an old hag too (34 BTW, she is 20).

I went back to bed fuming and in tears. This morning i woke them all up at 8.00am. They are due to fly back home tonight and i assume were expecting DH or me to take them to the airport. I explained that because DH was not here and because we had had a lot of snow lately and the minibus was snowed in, they could make their own way back to the airport via public transport. I was not driving them 6 hours round trip. They had 12 hours to get back to the airport themselves. The journey is a bus and two train rides and takes a total of 3.5 / 4 hours. An hour later i heard the door bang and went to their rooms. They have left and take all their stuff. They have not said good bye. The room where the two girls were sleeping has been trashed. Make up; lipstick, foundation and other stuff has been smeared into my beautiful new White Company bed sheets. It doesn't look like an accident as it is on all the pillows, duvet and sheet.

I phoned DH at work and told him what had happened. It was a broken line and DH was v. busy at work so i know he wasn't really aware of the whole story as it was hardto talk. But he questioned whether i had checked they had money to get to the airport and whether the trains were running. I hadn't. I have checked since and the trains are running. But have i done the right thing? AIBU?

OP posts:
Brefugee · 26/01/2021 07:53

i wonder if there's a way @mumsnet could change the colour on threads that were started more than a year ago so we don't have all the zombie nonsense?

(this is a great thread though)

billybagpuss · 26/01/2021 07:56

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this, thank You for the zombie resurrection.

And the only time I’ve ever heard the phrase ‘noblesse oblige’ actually used, ever, was in to the manor born when Audrey said they should give money to the tramp, she never mentioned inviting the tramp to trash a ski chalet @LessMissAbs was hysterically funny 😁

FortunesFave · 26/01/2021 08:09

@Brefugee

i wonder if there's a way *@mumsnet* could change the colour on threads that were started more than a year ago so we don't have all the zombie nonsense?

(this is a great thread though)

Great idea! Ask on MN Site Stuff maybe?

This thread reminded me of the time my niece came to Australia (where I emigrated to) and backpacking around, decided to stop at ours for a break. She was aged 22 and stayed for two weeks, didn't lift a fucking finger the ENTIRE time. Nothing. Not one washing up or cooking offered and then at the end, she didn't even get us a plant or bottle of wine.

That I could forgive but get this...she left a dress here. I didn't even notice but got a snotty phonecall from her Mother a month later asking why I hadn't posted it back to England!

I almost wiped my nose on the thing! It was a Primark dress...bobbly and worn!

RealHousewifesHouse · 26/01/2021 08:14

Oh this thread brought back memories!

I;d love an update if Espresso is still around. :)

butterpuffed · 26/01/2021 08:14

Didn't realise this thread was a zombie till near the end as it was in Trending Now.

I'm glad I did !! Sooo funny, hilarious, has set me up for the day !!! Grin

Eddielzzard · 26/01/2021 08:18

Zombie thread it may be, but it was an exciting read for another groundhog day

BosleyCharliesAngel · 26/01/2021 08:23

@Catflapkitkat - you'll love the carpet fitter one then ;) ;) Keeps reappearing every so often and each time I see it, it puts a smile on my face and makes me chuckle.

I'd love it if the OP would be so kind as to come back and give some closure on this.

ShouldIgonow · 26/01/2021 08:25

Only just realised it’s a zombie lol! I did wonder with all of covid what are these people doing?! Grin

Margotshypotheticaldog · 26/01/2021 08:27

I have to know what has happened in the years in between. Where is the HSil Now? Is shs a reformed character? What ever happened to the handsome Eastern European ski instructors? And what of Big Bad Barry and Little Baby Barry?? I MUST KNOW!! 🤯

justilou1 · 26/01/2021 08:28

This is the best mumsnet I have read in forever. Thank you OP!

Butchyrestingface · 26/01/2021 08:28

I wanted a chalet in 2013 and I still wants one in 2021.

S’not fair. Some people have all the chalets. Angry

Margotshypotheticaldog · 26/01/2021 08:29

I would regard that particular ship as having long since sailed
🤣🤣

SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun · 26/01/2021 08:37

It wasn’t until the op said she would go back to the uk that I thought about Covid. I must imagine the rest of the world is still having holidays abroad, house guests and drunken pool parties.

JayAlfredPrufrock · 26/01/2021 08:38

Aw I remember this thread.

christmasathomeagain · 26/01/2021 08:47

@SerenadeOfTheSchoolRun

It wasn’t until the op said she would go back to the uk that I thought about Covid. I must imagine the rest of the world is still having holidays abroad, house guests and drunken pool parties.
Yes 5 years ago when this thread was set we were all having holidays abroad 🙄
SchadenfreudePersonified · 26/01/2021 08:49

@LessMissAbs

Its the OP's job to host guests

No it isn't. She's not a hotel manager.

FWIW DH and I own 4 properties between us, but I wouldn't dream of boasting about it

And yet here you are, boasting about it.

Yes, I am lucky in that I have a house in the country, another house in a different part of the country and two large flats in the best part of the city. But I do holiday lets with the latter two, and I deal with the mess created afterwards.

And bragging again.

Plus - you CHOOSE to let your properties. OP had this thrust upon her.

You aren't there running around feeding people and cleaning up after them. OP was.

You aren't being verbally abused and insulted in your own home, or having your young children put at risk by other people's idiocy and entitlement. OP was.

Your insurance will cover for any theft or breakages - OP can hardly claim for damage caused by "guests" can she?

Godimabitch · 26/01/2021 09:03

Jeez! That was well worth the zombifiction! Wonder if HSIL has grown up yet!

billybagpuss · 26/01/2021 09:10

@Godimabitch

Jeez! That was well worth the zombifiction! Wonder if HSIL has grown up yet!
And more importantly does op still give birthday gifts?
UntamedWisteria · 26/01/2021 09:11

Was just waiting for someone to post ion here about how could they do this with all the Covid restrictions!

Which was my first thought when I read the OP - then went back to check the date!

Bopping298 · 26/01/2021 09:11

YANBU. Awful people. Feel bad for you that you had to endure such rudeness

SchadenfreudePersonified · 26/01/2021 09:15

@QueenStromba

I'm finding LessMissAbs' attitude very strange given she was on here a couple of weeks ago complaining about her lodger!
Ah - so @LittleMissAbs is short for LittleMissAbsoluteBollox!

I should have realised. Grin

Agree that HSIL is playing the sympathy card.

"Oh Mummy - it was awful. Friend X - who as you know has always bullied me terribly and whom I am terrified of -insisted that we take these awful, rough boys back and they stole champagne, and Mummy I was so frightened, and then she was so rude to Espresso and then her make-up bag just accidentally exploded and we didn't bother to say "good-bye" because Espresso was in such a foul mood none of us dared say anything and then we had to get a taxi and then . . . weep, weep, etc"

She might as well just say - "The big girls made me do it."

BiddyPop · 26/01/2021 09:16

Zombie.

I was reading through with interest and wondered how much it would have moved on between 20th Jan and today.....then saw a post from me! Knowing I hadn't posted in recent days on such a juicy CF thread (or even seen it)...lockdown boredom has truly set in.

I hope things have been very calm and settled since for Espresso and her family.

SchadenfreudePersonified · 26/01/2021 09:18

You were very lucky that the blokes who came back were very nice

Werethey nice?

Or were they worried they would have their permits rescinded?

FiddlefigOnTheRoof · 26/01/2021 09:26

Zombie thread or not - pool! Champagne! Barry and Barry! Couldn’t ask for more.

Baycob · 26/01/2021 09:33

Before I realised it was 2013. I was thinking - why would you take a picture on a camera rather than your phone ? 😂

We had camera phones, but they were such poor quality ofc you would have used a digital.